


GAME OVER

by robertmakesafoolofhimself



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Blood and Violence, Boys in Chains, Fucked Up, Getting Back Together, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Inspired by a Movie, M/M, Near Death, Nightmare Before Christmas Era, Possible Character Death, Psychological Torture, Scared Aaron Dingle, Scared Robert Sugden, Suicidal Thoughts, Till Death Do Us Part, Violent Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2017-11-12
Packaged: 2019-02-01 07:54:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12700620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robertmakesafoolofhimself/pseuds/robertmakesafoolofhimself
Summary: Robert and Aaron are forced to play a game.Inspired by the SAW movies.“Behind the glass of that mirror is a man you’ve threatened to kill on several occasions. Today you’re going to make a choice. Is he worthy of your love, is anyone?"





	GAME OVER

**Author's Note:**

> I'll add tags further down the line. Things will definitely get more triggering so please bare that in mind. This is my first time writing about Aaron, so I hope it goes ok! I'm on holiday tomorrow until the 24th of November. I plan on writing a lot while i'm away, if you like it!
> 
> Send any questions here http://roblivionchristmas.tumblr.com/

 

\-----------

 

**The scream pierces his heart like a lightning bolt to the chest.**

 

For a fraction of a second he thinks it’s the baby. That baby that he’d held; his own son. It’s still not what he wants. He doesn’t think it ever will be, but he has to try. Aaron’s dared him to and there’s no way he’s about to back down. He needs to raise this child the best he can; offer him love and support no matter what. The kid needs to be important. It’s Robert’s reason to keep going, to try and be a better person in spite of all that he’s done. Aaron believes in him. That should be enough for him to tolerate the second rate barbie, he’s decided.

 

 

_He slams his foot on the pedal, speeding back towards the family that’s ruined his marriage._

 

 

He suddenly feels naked, journeying into the unknown and being scared shitless. He reaches a hand to his pocket to look at his phone again, but he can’t. He’s only wearing his shirt. His coat’s gone, so is his body warmer. He’s gone from three layers to one but he doesn’t remember how. Maybe he’s that distracted or this baby really is driving him mad.

 

 

**When he opens his eyes he’s not in his car at all.**

 

 

He can feel bright lights on his face as he struggles to open his eyes. Everything is a blurry shade of blue. He can’t even make out any real silhouettes yet.

 

 

“Where am I?” he demands, panic making his voice tremble.

 

 

Another scream.

 

 

He’s shivering - both from sitting on the cold, damp floor of wherever he is and the terror he feels as he’s frozen in place. He’s trying to move his feet but they’re like blocks of ice; the numb feeling spreading through his body.

 

 

His other senses are kicking in and he grasps at his neck, where he feels the cold press of metal. He gulps hard and then lets out a cough, his throat dry as he searches his mind for words.

 

 

He closes his eyes, shuts everything else out and focuses on the voice that’s desperate for some attention.

 

 

His heart is hammering fast and his thoughts are frantic.

 

 

 _Quick. Think. Do something. You lunatic. Dad? You’re wasting time. It’s gone. Everything is gone now_ . _The hospital. Your son - he matters. You have a son and he’s a person with thoughts, feelings and emotions. Well he will be one day. Right now he’s just a baby but he’s innocent. You ruin everything you touch. You’ll be a good dad. He needs protecting. He needs you. He matters. Fuck the Whites. You need to save him._

 

 

_Save him._

 

 

They’re back in the car and it’s sinking. Time is ticking and he’s _scared_ but he needs to focus. Aaron can’t - won’t - move.  No time. _I love you_.  Survival mode kicks in.

 

 

Aaron; the voice is Aaron.

 

 

He’s recognising the words now. Robert is trying so fucking hard to focus as he opens his eyes and looks for his husband, but he’s tired and his body is arching. It can’t be right that he’s so tired.

 

 

He hopes to God that Aaron is here with him. No matter what the fuck is going on, he needs to see Aaron. He needs to tell him that he’s right and promise him that he’ll be the best dad he can be. Aaron can move on too. He’s probably making plans to move in with that doctor already.

 

 

Robert’s thoughts jump to their matchmaker, the girl who had once been part of his new and perfect family. Liv wants him dead. Maybe she’ll get her wish. He feels as if he’s more than halfway there already. He doesn’t feel whole without Aaron; he feels empty.

 

 

 _No, you’ve got to keep going - for that baby, for Aaron_.

 

 

The man in the hotel room with Lawrence was only a shadow of Robert Sugden. Yet years of reading Victoria fairytales has taught him that Peter Pan can’t live without his shadow.

 

 

Finally his vision begins to clear.

 

 

He sees a man on the floor in front of him, hands clenched into fists as he stares motionlessly straight ahead. Robert squints his eyes curiously but then recoils in shock when the stranger copies his movements.

 

 

He’s staring at a mirror.

 

 

That’s not him, it can’t be. It’s a broken shell of a human being.

 

 

Tears begin to form in his eyes.

 

 

This can’t be right; the guy in the reflection isn’t wearing a wedding ring.

 

 

He hears Aaron’s voice again and he wonders if he’s actually asleep in his car. Maybe he pulled over and he’s forcing himself to ignore his current dilemma. None of this makes sense. There’s no one else here. Maybe he’s in shock; he’s only just become a dad.

 

\----------------------

 

 

 

_He’s having one of those dreams where everything seems fine. It’s better than fine. He’s got Liv, mum and the whole dingle clan crowded around him. Nothing’s missing. This is the way it should be._

 

 

 _It’s Christmas time and his mum’s dancing to All I Want for Christmas and begging for him to join her. His body refuses to move. Even though he knows he’s a terrible dancer and he’ll make a fool of himself he_ **_wants_ ** _to dance._

 

 

_Everything around him looks so right; Zak cracking jokes, Cain helping himself to food and rolling his eyes at his sister’s dancing. Liv’s got a huge smile on her face, VR Headset on as she battles with Gerry. He wants to dance but he won’t, can’t -  he’s frozen in place._

 

 

_Robert pokes his head in through the door to the mil and for a moment he thinks he can make that first move. Then he sees the baby in his husband’s arms and lets out a scream like he’s falling, falling, falling -_

 

He’s falling through the air and for a moment it’s a relief. All he can do is pray that he’ll hit the ground and all of this misery will be over. The negative thoughts only last a few seconds but they make him panic; he can’t go back to _that_ place again. He’s been doing so well. Keeping away from Robert has helped him so much but now _the baby_ is here and it’s even haunting his dreams. He can’t help himself - he still wants and needs Robert to be happy. It’s one of the most important things to him but he _will not_ let his own happiness suffer as a result of it.

 

 

He’s stronger now, he tells himself as he opens his eyes. Something rough and hard hits the top of his back but he’s _hanging_. He looks down but there’s nothing to fall onto. He can’t see the ground. He’s staring into a bottomless pit and the only thing stopping him from falling into the abysses is whatever is attached to his wrist.

 

 

Time seems to have slowed down and it takes all his strength for him to look up at the flimsy looking chain. He’s hanging off a ledge and all he needs to do is pull himself up by gripping the chain.

 

 

 _All_ he needs to do...like he’s in a VR game and none of this is real.

 

 

His hands are sweating, his mind's raising and he’s terrified he’s going to die.

 

 

Aaron’s eyes dart around the small room he’s in. He can make out a wall length mirror, taunting him with the image of how far away he is from safety. The other three walls feel like they’re closing in on him as his wrist begins to ache. His jacket's zipped up tight but he remembers wearing it lose. Someone must have done it up to make him sweat even more.

 

 

A voice interrupts his thoughts, “Hello Aaron. I want to play a game.”

 

 

There’s no one else in the room but the stranger sounds so close to him. A shiver runs down Aaron’s spine and he struggles to focus on the words that he’s hearing.

 

 

“Behind the glass of that mirror is a man you’ve threatened to kill on several occasions. Today you’re going to make a choice. Is he worthy of your love, is anyone? Or do you hate yourself so much that you deserve to die alone, hanging on by a thread just like your father was?”

 

 

Up until this moment he’s felt paralysed, too weak to move. It’s the memory of his father that motivates him as he presses his hands against the cool steel of the chain holding him and hoists himself up to the ledge.

 

 

“Who are you? Let me out of here!” he yells and the strange voice becomes distorted; he can’t talk over it or it cuts out.  

 

 

“....poison in his system. If you tell him,  the contraption around his neck will electrocute him - he’ll die instantly. By your reasoning, this would be a more merciful death. Make your choice - will you help Robert pursue his unknowing journey for the antidote, or will you play God like you did with Jackson? Will you put thoughts of your own selfish pain aside, to let Robert fight for his life alone?”

 

 

His legs are shaking as he shuffles around on the platform, pressing his back against the wall. Robert’s been _poisoned_?

 

 

He lets out another wordless scream and then stares back at the pathetic looking man in the mirror. Contraption around his neck; he’s got one too. That’s where the sound is coming from. He just hopes that somehow his husband can hear him as he screams his name.

 

 

\---------------

 

 

 

“ _Robert!_ ”

 

 

It’s the gasp of his name that snap him back to apparent reality. Aaron _is_ here, even if it’s a hallucination; he’ll take that over no Aaron at all.

 

 

“Aaron!” His throat feels so tight and he briefly wonders when he last had something to drink. Then his thoughts completely focus on his best friend, “Aaron i’m so sorry”

 

 

There’s silence for what seems like forever. Robert’s staring at his hand as if the ring will magically appear where it belongs. It’s suddenly dawned on him that he might die in this room. He must be losing it because the thing that frightens him the most right now is Aaron finding his corpse with no wedding ring on it.

 

 

He lets out an earth shattering scream as he jumps to his feet and marches up to the glass. He slams his fist into it again and again, only pausing when he registers that Aaron’s pleading with him. He’ll always hear it above any noise; the sound of disappointment. “Rob, _Rob stop_! What have you done?”

 

 

His voice is bitter, “What do you _think_ i’m doing? I’m trying to get to you!”

 

 

“Stop, please stop Robert. We need to play by the rules.”

 

 

He needs to calm down but he’s so desperate for an explanation. There’s blood on his hand but he can’t feel any pain. He just feels lost when really he shouldn’t; his husband is listening and they need each other.

 

 

“I lost my ring!” he yells as if he’s face to face with the devil himself, not just staring at the image reflected back at him.

 

 

“Are you ok?” comes Aaron’s immediate reply. He’s holding onto the collar around his neck as if it’ll somehow bring Robert closer to him.  

 

 

Robert gets up on his feet and frantically looks around the room. He’s surrounded by three walls and a mirror showing him the one thing he doesn’t want to see.

 

 

There must be _something_ …

 

 

Hanging to the side of the mirror is an old square TV set. It looks at least a couple of decades old,  probably doesn’t even work. The piece of crap is too high for him to reach. Above it is a camera, which would really be making Robert mad if it wasn’t for something else in his line of vision.

 

 

The box of photos; his life with Aaron somehow condensed to a few snapshot memories. It’s poking out from behind the TV set and Rob has his hands on it before he can stop myself. He doesn’t even know that’s what it is. It’s just a box….but going by how fucked up his current situation is...he’s going for it.

 

 

“Rob, I can hear you moving around. Don’t do anything stupid!” Aaron warns, closing his eyes and imagining the worry on Robert’s face. “Rob...are you ok!” he asks again, voice filled with more panic.  

 

 

“I’m fine” Robert mutters, now clutching the box to his chest.

 

 

The TV turns on by itself.

 

  
“Hello Robert… _Mr Accident._ I want to play a game.”

 

 

 


End file.
